Singapore only produces 0.1 per cent of the world's total carbon emissions.
As such, Singapore's climate action alone is "insufficient", said Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Development on Oct. 11.
In view of this, Sim called for "a more concerted global effort" to resolve climate change.
Sim was speaking at the inaugural High-Level Meeting of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum in Bali, Indonesia.
Climate change part of S'pore's 'existential issues': Sim
Climate change is an existential issue that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Singapore are facing, said Sim.
To mitigate the impact of climate change, Singapore has committed to the Paris Agreement and the 2030 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.
Sim highlighted the Singapore Green Plan as an example of how the country has been working to fulfil its obligations and its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Encouraging all SIDS to be more involved with tackling climate change, she said: "For the sake of our collective future, we must all put in more effort to build green, inclusive, and resilient societies."
She added that Singapore recognises the importance of working together with many other countries to combat the effects of climate change.
She highlighted three key areas:
- Marine pollution and plastics
- Maritime governance
- Climate change and adaptation
Tackling marine & plastic pollution
On the first, Sim spoke about Singapore's negotiation efforts at the UN and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
"Singapore will continue to participate actively and work with member states to achieve an outcome that emphasises and addresses the transboundary impact of marine plastic pollution, takes a pragmatic approach, and galvanises global action," she said.
She added that Singapore is also party to all six annexes of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships in the IMO.
"We look forward to working with member states on a constructive strategy to deal with ship-source plastic spills and pollution," Sim said.
Maritime governance
To establish strong maritime governance, Sim said that the country is "heartened" that the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ) has received a "warm reception".
The BBNJ Agreement covers access to and use of marine genetic resources, the adoption of conservation and sustainable use measures and the conduct of environmental impact assessments in the maritime areas beyond national jurisdiction, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Singapore is one of the founding members of this treaty.
As of Oct. 12, over 80 states are signatories of the agreement, of which more than 20 are from SIDS.
Sim encouraged more states to sign and quickly ratify the BBNJ, which would represent "a major step forward in the governance of our global commons".
"Amidst an increasingly gloomy global outlook, the success of the BBNJ process is proof that our leaders can come together to solve pressing problems," she said.
Climate change and adaptation
On the last, Sim spoke about Singapore's commitment to work with partners to help developing countries build up their capacity through platforms like the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and the Sustainability Action Package (SAP).
The SCP was started in 1992 to share Singapore's development experience with other developing countries.
SCP participants touring Singapore's Integrated Transport Hubs. Image via Singapore Cooperation Programme - SCP/Facebook.
Meanwhile, the SAP was launched in 2022, and will run from April 2023 to March 2026.
It provides more specific sustainability-related courses in areas such as adaptation and resilience-building strategies, green project management and financing, low carbon development, and carbon markets.
Solving challenges together
"Given the growing importance of climate change and marine pollution-related issues to all our countries, Singapore firmly believes that we should work together, through this and other multilateral platforms, to strengthen our collective ability to address the many common, urgent, complex, and existential challenges facing us today," Sim concluded.
She also noted the adoption of the Leader's Declaration at the AIS Forum on Oct. 11, and expressed her hope that leaders will discuss the organisation's future charter, targets, and objectives.
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Top image from Sim Ann 沈颖/Facebook.